John Lee Ka-chiu has been officially confirmed as Hong Kong’s leader-in-waiting and will take over as chief executive on July 1 after the veteran security official easily secured the overwhelming support expected from the group of electors that voted him into power in an uncontested poll on Sunday. Lee, 64, vowed to unite a city still divided after the political and social turmoil of 2019, starting with building a “passionate” governing team to usher in a “new chapter” of stability and prosperity. “With loyalty and perseverance, I shall undertake this historic mission and shoulder this responsibility to unite and lead the 7.4 million Hong Kong people to start a new chapter together,” he said, as chief executive-elect. Lee secured 1,416, or 99.2 per cent, of 1,428 valid votes cast by an Election Committee dominated by pro-establishment forces, the highest tally in the six leadership races since the city’s return to Chinese rule in 1997, with eight voting against him and four casting blank ballots. The former career policeman-turned-top bureaucrat is the oldest chief executive to be elected – all his predecessors were aged below 60 when they took office. In his victory speech, he renewed his election manifesto pledges to tackle the city’s chronic housing problems, address governance inadequacies, protect national security and boost international competitiveness. “My government will be determined to confront the well-entrenched issues that have faced Hong Kong for many years, take decisive steps and adopt efficient and effective actions to resolve them,” he said. “I look forward to all of us starting a new chapter together, building a Hong Kong that is caring, open and vibrant. And a Hong Kong that is full of hope, opportunities and harmony.” Underscoring the central government’s strong backing for Lee, Beijing’s liaison office in the city hailed the election as “a new successful practice in developing democracy with Hong Kong characteristics”. The liaison office said Lee’s win reflected the advantages of a new electoral system designed to ensure only those deemed “patriots” would be allowed to run the city, a reference to the overhaul of Hong Kong’s entire political system in response to the mass anti-government protests and street violence of 2019. ‘Democracy with Hong Kong characteristics’: Beijing hails leadership poll Lee was in charge of security during months of turmoil, and was one of the key officials sanctioned by the US after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong to put an end to the chaos. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, whom Lee will replace on July 1 at the end of her initially hope-filled but later turbulent five-year term, issued a statement offering her “sincere congratulations” and promising a “seamless transition” into the next administration. Majority support for Lee from the 1,461-member Election Committee was already a given before the poll at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Sunday morning, and the result was out in four hours. It only took 23 minutes to finish vote counting by 1pm. Lee’s wife, Janet Lam Lai-sim, who had stayed away from the spotlight during almost the entirety of his short campaign, made a rare appearance on stage by his side. The two embraced and Lee also handed her a bouquet of flowers to celebrate Mother’s Day. The chief executive-elect choked back tears as he thanked his wife and family for their support. “I want to thank my wife very much because, for all these years, I did give [my family] little time due to my work,” he said in a trembling voice. “I’m just doing what all fathers and husbands would do, loving my family and my wife.” The former security minister, who was the No 2 government official before he resigned to run for the top job, has his work cut out for him, from winning broader public support to resolving the city’s deep-rooted problems, while also minding national interests at a time when Hong Kong is caught up in geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. “We will continue to uphold the rule of law, which is a core pillar of our sound governance, insist on the bottom-line thinking and protect Hong Kong from internal and external threats and sabotage,” he said. “This is to ensure the stability of Hong Kong society, safeguard our country’s sovereignty, national security and development interests”. Lee stressed the importance of ensuring a result-oriented work culture, nurturing a new governance culture of bold thinking, and uniting all sectors of the community. Asked by a Post reporter about the eight Election Committee members who did not vote for him, Lee thanked them anyway for participating in the exercise, which he said “signified the importance of the election”. “I will try my best to further convince whoever disagrees with me because it is my duty to let people understand what I can do to them. But I do understand there will be a time that is needed for me to convince the people,” he said. “But I can do that by actions so that when they see results, they somehow will know that, well, at least he’s trying his best.” Who is John Lee, Hong Kong’s next leader? Asked about the potential for future challenges stemming from the lack of a wider electoral mandate, Lee insisted the election had been “conducted in a very transparent and fair manner” and the number of votes he secured from a committee that has been touted as broadly representing all sectors of the community meant he was on the right track. “There is, of course, a high demand on what I will deliver. I know that, that’s why I never underestimate the challenges that I shall be facing. That’s exactly why I think we must energise and synergise the government,” he said. “We want to make one plus one greater than two.” The overhaul of Hong Kong’s political system has left opposition parties in the city with no seats in the Election Committee, while only one lawmaker in the 90-member legislature is not pro-establishment. On Sunday, Lee pledged to enhance communication with lawmakers but remained coy about whether he was ready to engage with the marginalised opposition camp, only saying he would reach out to a broad spectrum of stakeholders “according to actual circumstances”. When asked about concrete steps he would take to open Hong Kong to international travellers for the sake of business severely disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, he would only say he was well aware of the demand and would work towards a goal to “make Hong Kong accessible to the world”. With only 54 days to go before Lee is sworn in as chief executive on the 25th anniversary of the city’s handover to Chinese rule, he said forming his cabinet would be a top priority and he would pick people based on their “knowledge, experience and ability”. He added that he expected many talented people to be committed to contributing to society under the city’s changed political landscape. In a departure from his usual poker-faced, disciplinarian style, the security veteran became emotional when asked about the pressure his family would be under with him in the hot seat. Hong Kong’s chief executive election a ‘violation of democratic principles’: EU “Election work is a matter for individuals, family participation is not necessary. I’m very grateful for their support,” Lee said. His wife appeared reluctant to speak upon reporters’ requests, while his two sons did not show up at the venue. After regaining his composure, Lee said he hoped his family would not be affected or have to be concerned about “internal and external hidden forces” who were still sabotaging Hong Kong. “What I hope to give Hong Kong is not a John Lee Ka-chiu, but a government which can deliver,” he said. “A government which is sincere and capable will eventually win the support of citizens.” Sunday’s election was a smooth exercise, with a heavy police presence to prevent any disturbance. A rare protest by the opposition League of Social Democrats party drew just three people surrounded by dozens of police officers before voting began in Wan Chai. “Power to the people, universal suffrage now,” the group chanted for less than an hour before dispersing. Shortly after Lee’s win, Beijing hailed the election as a new step in Hong Kong’s democratic development, and expressed confidence that the city would continue to excel. In a 5,000-word article, the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office hailed Lee as a good leader for the city and the election as a success demonstrating the merits of the overhauled system. “The election campaign focused on development and people’s livelihood, and a strong positive force has been converged by it … The formulation of Lee’s manifesto was also a process of democratic consultation,” the office said. The European Union dubbed the poll a “selection process”, calling for Beijing and Hong Kong to abide by their national and international commitment to introducing universal suffrage. “The European Union regrets this violation of democratic principles and political pluralism and sees this selection process as yet another step in the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle,” the EU said in a statement following the election. A Hong Kong-based consul general from a European country, who met Lee when he was security minister, told the Post that the EU expected national security issues to be prioritised and “less outreach to the international and diplomatic community than before”. A spokesman for the commissioner of the foreign ministry’s office in the city accused the EU representatives of vilifying the electoral system of Hong Kong “with old tricks” and urged them to stop their meddling in local affairs, saying it would be futile. Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the Beijing-based, semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said the high voter turnout underscored a “high degree of unity among the pro-establishment camp”, while the number of votes would provide Lee with a “good and smooth” start. Lee’s victory was unanimously celebrated by the city’s pro-establishment groups, with the largest political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, praising his emphasis on improving communication with lawmakers. “The incumbent administration usually informed us of its policies when they had already been shaped, which we found unsatisfactory. We should communicate at an earlier stage,” vice-chairman Holden Chow Ho-ding said. But opposition Democratic Party chairman Lo Kin-hei warned that Lee’s achievement would be challenged if he failed to regain trust among citizens. “Hong Kong society is still seriously divided … he has to demonstrate his willingness to listen to the people, especially the dissenters,” he said. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce expressed confidence in Lee’s leadership, with chairman Peter Wong Tung-shun saying in a statement that his group looked forward to working with the new administration to help the city reinforce its position as Asia’s leading business hub. Tara Joseph, former head of the city’s American Chamber of Commerce, described Lee as the first city leader who did not have much experience with the business community and managing an economy. “Hong Kong has a lot of working to do in regaining the respect and admiration of the international business community and it desperately needs to revive its economy,” she told the Post. “So it will be interesting to see how a security-focused leader handles this.” Additional reporting by Lilian Cheng, Tong Cheung, Gary Cheung and Cannix Yau